SPECIAL COLLECTIONS RESEARCH TOOLKIT
Special Collections, located on the first floor in Hodges Library, preserves and provides access to rare and unique materials that support instruction and research at the University of Tennessee. Available formats include rare books, manuscripts, letters, diaries, photographs, and digital collections.
Special collections are a great resource for patrons at any level, from undergraduate and graduate students to experienced researchers to community users with an interest in University and regional history. The resources listed below, which include instructional videos and one-click access to digital collections, identify tools that support the use of special collections materials.
INSTRUCTIONAL RESOURCES
SUBJECT GUIDES.jpg)
The subject guides provide a list of manuscripts, rare books, topical keywords and - when available - digital collections related to specific topics. Popular topics include:
- Civil War in Tennessee
- Native Americans in Tennessee
- Tennessee Authors
ENGLISH 102
The English 102 guide supports assigned freshman topics in special collections research. In addition to digital collections, the guide also provides information about manuscripts, archival collections, rare books, and relevant keywords to help students work on classroom and homework assignments.
HOW-TO VIDEOS
ABOUT SPECIAL COLLECTIONS.jpg)
This short video introduces patrons to the general policy and procedures of Special Collections and how to begin researching. Topics covered include reading room location and hours, searching for and requesting materials, and reproduction guidelines.
USING SCOUT
The How to Use SCOUT video shows users how to look for materials using our finding aid database. Hints include how to tell the difference between manuscript and archival collections, and the important information you will need to copy and paste into the materials request form.
GENERAL RESOURCES
SCOUT DATABASE.jpg)
The SCOUT finding aid database holds all of our online finding aids. Finding aids describe collections and include information such as title, collection number, the dates the materials cover, as well as a list of what the collection contains. For more information on how to use the database, please see our instructional video How to Use Scout.
DIGITAL COLLECTIONS
A number of special collections materials has been digitized and is now available online. In addition to many UT-related collections, including football programs, student yearbooks, and the alumni magazine, our online content also covers the Great Smoky Mountain region and famous UT graduates like famous MGM director Clarence Brown.
